


Feeling a Bit Under the Woofer

by CupofTia



Series: Strike and Wolfgang Adventures [5]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith, Strike (TV 2017)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, One Shot Collection, Post-Troubled Blood, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Troubled Blood Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27014428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupofTia/pseuds/CupofTia
Summary: Part 5 of the Strike and Wolfgang adventure series.In which Robin is poorly and Cormoran and Wolfgang take care of her.*MILD TROUBLED BLOOD SPOILERS AHEAD, NOT PLOT RELATED*
Relationships: Robin Ellacott & Cormoran Strike, Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Series: Strike and Wolfgang Adventures [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965541
Comments: 18
Kudos: 46





	Feeling a Bit Under the Woofer

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this one has taken an extra day folks! 
> 
> Ironically it’s because I’m starting to get poorly myself, but thankfully I too, have a fur baby to take care of me.
> 
> It’s also a longer story again, I can’t stop myself!
> 
> Enjoy!

Glancing at his birthday present from Robin, Cormoran felt a lump rise in his throat once more. He tried to push it down with a swig of beer and went back to pretending to watch the football from the small screen in his flat.

It had been a couple of weeks since his party, where he and Robin had finally been able to grab 5 minutes alone. Robin had taken the brief opportunity to give him his card and gift, but she had insisted that he open it when he got home. 

The card had made him chuckle, the design featuring what could be Wolfgang’s twin and reading ‘Happy Birthday Sausage’. The message had been short and sweet, but this year there were two kisses, which had made Strike’s stomach flip each time he looked at it, even if it did say one of them was from Wolfgang.

But the warmness he felt at this was nothing compared to that which he experienced on opening his present.

It was a photo album, full of pictures of Joan. He had never seen most of the photos, not being one to indulge in such sentimental affairs. But he recognised some of the rare, good moments from his childhood that were pictured. Most of these featured an enthusiastic looking Lucy, delighted to be posing with her aunt, and a rather less enthusiastic looking Strike, trying his utmost to hide from the camera. There were also some photos of Joan and Ted from when they had first dated, and from their wedding day. It was a beautiful gift.

When Cormoran had phoned his Uncle to say thanks for the photos, he had learned that Robin had asked Lucy to help her arrange the whole thing, not wanting to contact Ted himself without having met him. It was this small but crucial act of discretion that proved how well Robin knew him as much as the gift itself did.

His uncle it seemed, had not shared Robin’s reservations about boundaries however, 

‘I phoned her to say thank you.’ Ted had told a shocked Strike. ‘For looking after you I mean. She’s a good girl that one. It’s a shame she didn’t get to meet Joan. I told her so.’

Fighting through the mass of emotions that looking at the album and remembering this conversation had stirred, Cormoran thought of Robin and one emotion in particular took over. 

The level of care, thoughtfulness and love that had been put into this gift and the gratitude he felt for it could not quite be expressed in words. It had afforded him a newfound sense of clarity that had grown stronger each day.He knew how he felt about her, he had always known. Now he knew at last though, that he had to tell her. Consequences be damned. But how?

He remembered she was having a chilled evening with Wolfgang tonight, Pat had asked her if she had any weekend plans a couple of days before. He hadn’t seen her since then, their surveillance shifts hadn’t overlapped. He missed her. 

Perhaps if she was chilling out with Wolfgang it meant that Max wasn’t home. Was this not then, a perfect opportunity for a frank conversation between them? But would she find it intrusive, if he disturbed her evening? Perhaps he should phone her, to test the waters.

When Robin answered, Strike knew immediately that she was poorly. Her voice was thick and scratchy as she greeted him, sounding as though she was half asleep,

“Hey, wassup?”

“I might ask you the same thing. How long have you been poorly?”

“What? Oh no I’m fine.”  She lied. She sounded dreadful.

“Yeah you sound fine.” 

“No really, Cormoran, it’s nothing, I was just having a nap, but I feel absolutely fine.” 

Wolfgang barked loudly in the background, calling out her obvious bullshit.

“I’m coming over.” 

He hung up before she had a chance to argue and headed to her place at once, making sure to make a quick pit stop on the way.

* * *

Robin groaned at the loud knock at the door and Wolfgang’s answering barks. Who dare disturb her slumber? And why was there a phone stuck to cheek? She hadn’t called anyone...

...but Cormoran had called her she realised groggily. Oh no, she thought as it all came flooding back. Had he said he was coming over? Or had she dreamt that part? It wouldn’t be the first time.

But no, there was the knock again at the door. Oh bugger. He couldn’t see her looking like this! Drowning in snotty tissues and looking like some sort of swamp monster. He had seen her at some low moments but this was unacceptable. 

Her phone buzzed as a text message came through.

_ C: Are you hiding from me? _

_ R: No. _

_ C. Then answer the bloody door will you? _

_ R: I can’t. _

_ C: Can’t or won’t? _

_ R. Can’t. _

_ C: Why not? Are you okay? I will smash this door down if I need to. _

_ R: I can’t come to the door. I look hideous. _

_ C: Not possible. _

Ignoring the shiver that ran through her entire body, a symptom unrelated to her sudden onset of flu, Robin looked at Wolfgang for help. 

‘Well you heard him’, Wolfgang’s grizzle seemed to say, ‘stop being so stubborn and go and let him in!’

Huffing melodramatically, Robin stuffed the worst of the tissues under the bed,threw a dressing gown on over her pyjamas (why did they have to be her baggiest, fluffiest pair?!) and went to accept her fate, dragging her feet as she went. 

Opening the front door the tiniest crack, Robin told Cormoran with as much authority and dignity as she could muster in her pathetic state, 

“You can come in but you’ve got to promise not to look at me.”

“Robin, come on...”

“Promise me!” 

“Okay. But you’re being bloody ridiculous”

“You’re being ridiculous” she muttered petulantly, storming back to her bedroom as she did so.

Fighting the urge to laugh, Cormoran followed, giving Wolfgang a well deserved fuss on the way.

Robin had left her bedroom door open, which he took as an invitation, but it was still with trepidation that he entered. This wasn’t exactly how he had imagined seeing her bedroom for the first time, but now didn’t seem an appropriate moment to dwell on that. Little did he know Robin was thinking the same thing.

It would have been impossible to know what she was thinking even if he had been allowed to look at her, for she had taken refuge underneath her duvet, the whole thing pulled up to her chin as far as was physically possible, so only her eyes were peeking out. 

Covering his own eyes with his hands as he moved into the room, Cormoran peered cautiously through a crack in his fingers, hoping Robin wouldn’t catch him. No such luck.

“NO LOOKING” she snapped.

“Alright alright, but I’m gonna trip up in a minute if I’m not careful. I know I’m usually very elegant on my feet but being blind is a serious handicap.”

A reluctant snort of laughter escaped Robin and she relented enough to let him look around whilst he manoeuvred himself to sit on the end of her bed. She was adamant though, that he still keep his back to her.

“I don’t know why you insisted on coming anyway. I’m fine.” She said thickly.

“Well I’m convinced”, he retorted, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of his coat pocket and looking at it seriously, 

“But I’m afraid I had to come. I have a prescription here from a Dr W. Gang, for cuddles, tea and soup. Very urgent.” He passed her the note over his shoulder and held up a tub of soup he had bought for her en route.

Robin’s laughter was much louder this time as she took in the scrawled note, paw print and all, and it quickly turned into a coughing fit. As a result she didn’t see Cormoran turn slightly to watch, desperate to take care of her.

“I can see Wolfgang has those cuddles well under control”,  he said, peering at the fluffy little sausage dutifully guarding his patient. “But I’ve tried his tea and quite frankly it leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Stop making me laugh”,  she groaned in between further giggles and coughs.

“Sorry.” He said, not feeling sorry at all. “So, tea?”

“Yes please.”

“Honey?”

“Sorry?”  She asked, startled.

“In your tea?”

“Oh...err...yes. Please.”

Burying her head under her pillow, Robin couldn’t help admitting to herself despite her embarrassment, that having Cormoran look after her wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

When Cormoran returned, honey tea in hand, he saw that Robin was now hiding under her pillow.

“Here’s your tea”, he said, setting it down beside her. There was an answering groan that he took to mean, ‘thanks.’ 

Sitting back down on the end of the bed, Cormoran caught Wolfgang watching him expectantly, as though reminding him why he had wanted to come over in the first place. Well, no time like the present.

Clearing his throat nervously he started,“Robin. There’s something...there’s something I need to tell you.”

He took her silence as a sign to continue.

“Fuck this is harder than I thought. I don’t know how to say this.” He sighed.

Wolfgang gave him an encouraging whimper.

“Look the thing is Robin...the thing is...well...”

Turning around, determined to look at her as he said it, he saw that the pillow had slipped down slightly and that she had fallen fast asleep.

His mouth was already open, the words ready on his lips. He closed it in defeat, a pained expression on his face as he watched her snore softly.

Wolfgang, clearly exasperated, looked well and truly ready to pounce on Robin to wake her up, but Strike stopped him,

“Leave her mate, don’t worry. It’ll keep”

Wolfgang whined softly, and threw his head down until his paws. Easy for you to say, he thought glumly.

**Author's Note:**

> I drew inspiration for this from one of my favourite scenes from You’ve Got Mail, which is a truly lovely film if you haven’t seen it!
> 
> I even threw in a quote from it, as well as from Aladdin :)


End file.
